Collapsible tube apparatus



Feb. 2, 1943. 4 J. H. F'RIDEN 2,309,696

EJOLLAPSIBUE TUBE APPARATUS Original Filed Feb 3, 1938 9 Sheefs-Sheet l INVENTOR I \fofin hf Fr: den

ATTORNEY Feb. 2, 1943. J. H. FRIDEN 2,309,696

CQLLAPSIBLE TUBE APPARATUS 1 Original Filed Feb. 3, 1958 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 as mg Mix nvvsuroe M kfokn hf Friden Feb. 2, 1943. J. H. FRHDEN 2,309,696

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE APPARATUS Original Filed Feb. s, 1938 9 Sheets-Sheet s hi3 ATTORNEY Feb. 2, 1943. J. H. FRIDEN 2,309,696

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE APPARATUS Original Filed Feb. 3, 1938 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR BY /zl'$ ATTORNEY Feb. 2, 1 943. V J. H. FRIDEN COLLAPSIBLE TUBE APPARATUS Original Filed Feb. 3, 1938 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 we/won I06)? /7. Fm den hi3 A TTORNE Feb. 2, 1943. J. H. FRIDEN COLLAPSIBLE TUBE APPARATUS Original Filed Feb. 3 1938 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 ,INVENTOR JbIZ/i Fri a n his ATTORNEY Feb. 2 1943- J..H. FhlDEN 2,309,696

COLLAPS IBLE TUBE APPARATUS Original Filed Feb; 3, 1938 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 i/vvmroR J ofin H Fm den g his ATTORNE? Feb. 2, 1943.

J. H. F RIDEN COLLAPSIBLE TUBE APPARATUS 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Original Filed Feb. 3, 1938 2- 4 3:1: I WP. i iH A n 'h, "Uh Ill n 23 ATORNEY y Patented Feb. 2, 1943 UNlTED STATE-S PATENT OFFICE.

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE APPARATUS John H. Fridn, Maplewood, N. .L, assignor to The Sun Tube Corporation, Hillside, N. J... a corporation of New Jersey I .8 Claims. (Cl. 101-38) The invention relates to apparatus for the manufacture of collapsible metal tubes, and more particularly to improvements in apparatus for printing tubes to which a base has been applied. This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 188,418, filed February 3, 1938, on which Patent No. 2,288,617 was granted on July 7, 1942. v

In the manufacture of decorated collapsible metal tubes of the sort commonly used as containers for toothpaste, shaving cream, and the like, the tubes issuing from the extrusion ma-- chines are trimmed, threaded, and an initial or base coating of color applied to the exterior walls thereof. Following application of the base coating the tubes pass through a dryer to harden the coating and condition it to receive the further decoration which is to be applied by the printing unit. It is an object of my inven tion to provide improved means for feeding and applying the coated tubes to the spindles of a printing machine whereby scratching or marring of the base coating is prevented.

A further object is to provide means for applying the coated tubes to the spindles of a printing machine, wherein the tube-applying means is associated with the spindle-supporting member in such a manner as to permit adjustment of the latter to align the spindles with the surface of an impression blanket on the printing roll without disturbing alignment between the tube-applying means and the spindles. Additional objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a printing machine constituting a preferred embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal sectional view taken on the line IIII of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the printing machine; and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the machine.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate the mechanism fer adjusting the alignment of the printing machine spindles with the surface of an impression blanket on the printing roll, Fig. 5 being a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line V-V of Fig. 2, and FE. 6 being an elevational view taken as viewed in the direction of of the spindle-supporting turret. This section 55 tions isrepresented to an enlarged scale and is taken as indicated on the line VII-VH of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view partly in section taken as viewed from the right of Fig. 3; Fig. 9, a sectional view taken on the line IX--IX of 8; Fig. 10, a transverse sectional view to an enlarged scale on the line X-X of Fig. 8; and Fig. 11, a sectional view on the line XI-XI of Fi 10.

Figs. 12 to 15, inclusive, are detail views showing the tube-supporting carriage used in mounting the coated tubes on the printing machine spindles, and the means for spacing the car,- riage from the spindles to separate them by an amount equal to the wall thickness of the coated tubes; Fig. 12 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on the line XII--XII of Fig. 4; Fig. 13

is a longitudinal sectional viewon the line XIII- HII of Fig. 12; Fig. 14 is an enlarged view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 13 taken as viewed from the right of that figure; and

Fig. 15 is a sectional view taken on the line XVXV of Fig. 14.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4,-

shaft H carried by the conveyor supporting frame to which: shaft also is keyed a cam i2. The cam I2 coacts with a cam roller l3 mount- .ed at one-end of a rockable conveyor belt support l4. Mounted on the support [4 are pulleys l5 and I6 over which passes the belt [1, the pulleys l5 and [6 being so positioned that the belt I! passesbelow the path of travel of the tube-supporting pins I8 of the conveyor chain I in a direction parallel to the axis of the pins. The belt passes over the driven pulley H! which is actuated by any suitable mechanism such as the gear wheels 20, 2|, the latter of which in the machine illustrated is driven by abelt, 22 which passes over'a pulley keyed to the-"same shaftv as the gear 2| and is driven by a. motor (not shown) in the base of the machine.

The cam I2 is so designed that the raised por- 23' thereof serve to hold the belt I! in spaced relationship to the tubes carried by the supporting pins I8 toward which the belt support I4 is urged by springs 24 secured at one end to the supporting structure for the conveyor and at the other end to the rockable conveyor belt support |4. When the cam roller l3 passes from the raised portions 23 to the valleys 25 of the cam, the belt support I4 is permitted to move upwardly under the action of the springs 24, bringing the belt I1 into engagement with the lower surface of the tube carried by the conveyor pin i8 directly thereabove. This action raises the tube from the pin I8 sufliciently to release it therefrom so that the tube is then carried to the left as viewed in Fig. 10 through the trough 26 where it falls over the end of the belt l1 as it passes around the driven pulley IS. The spacing of the crests 23 and valleys 25 of the cam I2 is such that. the conveyor belt I1 is brought into engagement with only every other tube carried by the conveyor chain I (assuming that the printer is a two-station unit). From the end of the belt H the leading end of the tube drops onto a second conveyor belt 28 which projects beyond the end of the upper belt, and is driven by a pulley keyed to the same shaft as the gear wheel 2|, the belt 28 moving in a direction opposite to that of the belt H. The belt 26 carries the leading end of the tube in the oppo-' site direction, causing the tube to fall onto the belt 28 in a reversed position.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1, 4, 10, and 11, I shall describe the transfer of the tubes from the belt 28 to the carriage which is used to apply them to the spindles of the printing machines. The belt 28 carries the tubes in reversed position and direction through the trough 29 one side of which is curved over the top of the belt at 36 to cause the tube to roll laterally off the belt down the inclined surface 3| into pockets 32 of a feed wheel 33, which as viewed in Figs. 1 and 10 is arranged for rotation in a clockwise direction to deliver the tubes sucdisc 46 (Fig. 2) to produce intermittent rotation of the turret in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1. The roller arm 39 and locking disc 46 are driven by a shaft 4| which is driven by a gear train 42, 43, 44 from a pinion 45 keyed to a shaft 46 which carries the printing roll 41. The shaft 46 is driven in turn by a gear wheel 46 meshing with a pinion 49 driven by a chain 56 actuated from a source of power (not shown). The gear train 42, 43, 44 provides a flexible drive between shafts 31 and 46 permitting lateral adjustment between the two shafts to be eflected by means which will be described. Mounted on the printing roll 41 is an impression blanket 5| to which ink is applied by the usual ink rolls or other means not forming a part of the present invention. The feed wheel 33 previously referred to likewise is driven from the shaft 46 through a reducing chain-gear drive 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 51, 58, 59.

The tube carriage 34 is mounted on a rod 66 which passes through the center of the hollow shaft 31. On the squared end of the rod 66 is formed a rack 6| with which is associated mechanism driven'from the shaft 46 for moving the rod 66 in a direction parallel with its axis which is parallel with the axes of the spindles 35 on the turret 36. This mechanism, which later will be described in more detail, also provides means for causing the rod 66 to oscillate, providing a fixed pivot for the carriage 34 at the axis of the turret 36.

The tube carriage 34 is shown in Figs. 12 to 15, inclusive. If consists essentially of a trough 62 carried by an arm 63 which is rotatably mounted on the rod 66 and is secured to an adapter arm 64 by a bolt 65. Surrounding the bolt 65 is a compression coil spring 66 urging apart the two arms 63 and 64, the normal position of the arms relative to each other being adjustable by means of the wing nut 61. The arm 64 is rigidly secured to the rod 66' by a screw 68. The outer end of the trough 62 is provided with an end wall 69 through which passes a slidable plunger 16 having at one end a collar 1| arranged to bear against the cap end of a tube carried by the trough. Between the end wall 69 and the collar 11 is disposed a compression coil spring 12, and the plunger 16 carries at its other end an adjustable stop nut 13 which serves to limit the movement of the plunger under the action of the spring 12. The trough 62 is provided at its inner end with a shoulder 14 which, as will be seen from Figs. 14 and 15, is of a height substantially equal to the thickness of a tube carried by the spindle 35. Shoulder 1.4 is preferably tapered at 15 for cooperation with the ends of the spindles 35. Thus the shoulder 14 serves as a feeler so that when the adapter arm 64 is rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 12 to bring a tube into position for placement upon one of the spindles 35, and the carriage 34 advanced toward the spindle 35, the tapered portion 15 of the shoulder 14 engages the end of the spindle causing the arm 63 which carries the trough 62 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction by an amount sufficient to permit the shoulder 14 to ride along the spindle 35. This counterclockwise rotation of the arm 63 is effected against the action of the compression spring 66 so that there is thus provided a resilient means which in conjunction with the feeler shoulder 14 serves to accurately align the trough 62 with a spindle 35 during the application of a tube thereto. When the shoulder 14 is in contact with the spindle 35 the latter is spaced from the body of the trough 62 by an amount approximately equal to the wall thickness of the tube carried therein. After a tube has been applied to a spindle 35 in the manner indicated the rod 66 is caused to rotate through a very small angle in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 12 to free the tube completely from the trough 62 prior to translation of the trough to the left as viewed in Fig. 13.

I shall now describe the mechanism for controlling the movements of the carriage 34. This mechanism is shown in Figs. 2, 3' and 4 and in greater detail in Fig. 7. It consists generally of a housing 16 secured to a bracket 11 which is rotatably mounted with respect to the axis of the rod 66. The rack 6| formed on the squared end of the rod 66 extends through the housing 16. Also extending through the housing 16 but in a direction normal to that of the rack 6| is a second rack 16, Motions imparted to the second rack 13 by means which will be described later are transmitted to the first rack 6| through a pinion 19 meshing with the rack 16 and a gear 66 engaging the rack 6|, the pinion 19 and gear 66 being keyed to a common shaft 6| secured in .which is mounted a cam roller 83. The arm 82 has an offset shoe 84 the lower end of which is resiliently attached to a fixed portion of the machine' by means of a spring 84'. Fixed to the shaft 46 is a cam 85 for engagement with the cam roller 83, and acollar 86 carrying a roller 81'for engagement with the offset shoe 84 of the arm 82. The cam 85 and roller 83 cooperate to effect vertical movement of the rack 18 against the action of spring 84', and the roller 81 cooperates with the offset shoe 84 to effect oscillation of the rack 18 and housing 16 about the axis of the rod 66, also against the action ,of spring- 64'. The first of these motions at properly timed intervals causes the carriage 34 to move parallel to the axis of the spindles 35 from the position indicated in dot-dash lines 34' in Fig.4 .to the position indicated in full linesin that figure and back again. The second of these motions at properly timed intervals causes the carriage 34 to rock about the axis of the turret 36 from the position shown in Fig. 12 through the short distance represented at a in that figure so as to lower the trough 62 sufficiently to free it from contact with a tube' which has just been applied to one of the spindles 35. The sequence of these movements is as follows: Starting with the carriage 34 in the position shown by the dot-dash lines 34' in Fig. 4 a' tube is dropped into the trough 62 on the carriage by the feed wheel 33. At this moment the adapter with the spindle 35 causing the arm 63 to move downwardly against the action of the spring 66 into, the position shown in Fig. 12 where the trough 62 just clears the spindle 35 byan amount approximately equal to the thickness of the tube carried by the trough. After the carriage 34 reaches the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4

the adapter arm 64 rotates in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 12 carrying with it the arm 63 which, after the adapter arm 64 has preceded it by an amount sufficient to separate the arms 63 and 64 the maximum amount permitted by the bolt 65, will then move through the distance represented at a freeing the trough 62 from the tube. The carriage 34 then moves in a longitudinal direction back into position shown in dot-dash lines 34' in Fig. 4.

If desired, the movements of the carriage .34 may be restricted to reciprocation parallel to the axisof the spindles 35 from the position indicated in dot-dash lines 34' in Fig. 4 to the position indicated in full lines in that figure and back again, eliminating the rocking of the carriage about the axis of the turret 36. In this case, the

cam roller 81 could simply be omitted, and movement of the rack 18 thus restricted to the up and down reciprocation produced by the interaction of the cam roller 83 and cam 85. When rocking the axis of the spindle 35 brings the tube into a position in which its .top edge rides up on the bevel 21, lifting the tube clear of the trough as it slides onto the spindle, the bevel 21 being of such form and extent as to produce a proper camming action on the end of the tube. Thus when the carriage is being returned to its initial position, it will not rub against the surface of the tube. and scratching or marring of the coating is prevented. It will be understood that if the movements of the carriage 34 are .to be restricted to reciprocation in the manner just described, the mechanism may be simplified, as may be desired when provision of means for rocking of the carriage is not required.

The bracket 11 which carries the housing 16 is provided with a downwardly extending arm 81 provided with a boss at (Fig. 2) m which is journaled the shaft 4|, forming a part of the Geneva wheel driving mechanism previously described. The arm 81 extends beyond the boss 88 and at its lower extremity is bifurcated as The bifurcations 89 slidably engage a block 96 which is rotatably mounted on the shaft 46 by means of anti-friction bearings. Thus the arm 81 serves at all times to maintain align-. ment between the shafts 31, 4|, 46 while permitting lateral adjustment between the shafts 31 and 46 during which adjustment the movement between the shafts 4! and 46 is permitted by links of the gear-train 42, 43, 44. r

In Figs. 5 and Gare illustrated the means which I have devised for adjusting the alignment between the axes of the spindles 35 andthe surface of the impression blanket 5| on the printing roller 41. The hollow shaft 31 to which the turret 36 is keyed, as previously described, is journaled within .a cylindrical bearing member 9| which is mounted on a plate 92 slidably arranged in ways 93 formed in a supporting frame member 94 secured to the main frame of the machine. The hollow bearing member 9| is provided with a trunnion 95 having a pivotal engagement with the slidable plate 92.

The pivotal movement of the bearing member said set screws'96. Lateral adjustment between the shaft 46 and the cylindrical bearing member 9| is provided by the hand screw I06 which extends through a boss ||l| formed on the frame member 94. The hand screw I09 provides means for moving the plate 92 along the ways 93, and a cap screw I02 provides means for locking the plate 92 in its adjusted relation to the'frame member 94. The pivotal or angular adjustment provided by the set screws 96 and associated mechanism together with the lateral adjustment provided by the hand screw I60 provide means for adjusting the axis of the turret bearing 9| to bring the axes of the spindles 35 into parallelism with the impression blanket 5| carried by the printing roll 41 while preserving the alignment between the axes of the spindles 35- and the axis of the rod 60 about which the carby the carriage 3 to a position opposite the printing roll 41 at the second station beyond the point of application of the tube to the spindle 35. ,With a turret carrying six spindles, as shown, a spindle carrying a printed tube thus passes through three stations at the top of the machine before being returned to the station at which the next tube is to be pplied. Durin the interval of travel of the spindle through these three stations the printed tubes are removed by the operator and placed upon the pins I03 of the conveyor chain 2. When the printing unit comprises two stations, as in the embodiment illustrated, the printed tubes are placed on every other one of the pins I03 of the conveyor chain 2 at one station, and the printed tubes from the second station are applied to the remaining pins.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention by the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents or minor variations of the invention described.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for the manufacture of decorated collapsible metal tubes, a printer comprising a multiple spindle turret and means for feeding and applying coated tubes to the spindles thereof, said means comprising a carriage supported on a fixed pivot parallel to the axes of said spindles and movable in a direction parallel to said spindles to apply coated tubes thereto without relative movement between the coated tubes and the carriage whereby abrasion of the a coating and cloggin of the carriage is prevented.

2. In apparatus for the manufacture of decorated collapsible metal tubes, a printer comprising a multiple spindle turret and means for feeding and applying coated tubes to the spindles thereof, said means comprising a carriage fixedly pivoted at the axis of the turret and movable in a direction parallel to the axes of said spindles to apply coated tubes thereto without relative movement between the coated tubes and the carriage whereby abrasion oi the coating and clogging of the carriage is prevented.

3. In apparatus for the manufacture of decorated collapsible metal tubes, a printer comprising a multiple spindle turret and means for feeding and applying coated tubes to the spindles thereof, said means comprising a carriage supported on a fixed pivot parallel to the axes of said spindles and movable in a direction parallel to said spindles to apply coated tubes thereto without relative movement between the coated tubes and the car- ,ment between the coated tubes and the carriage,

and means associated with said carriage for spacing it from a spindle.

5. In apparatus for the manufacture of decorated collapsible metal tubes, a printer comprising a multiple spindle turret and means for feeding and applying coated tubes to the spindles thereof, said means comprising a carriage supported on a fixed pivot and movable in a direction parallel to the axes of said spindles to apply coated tubes thereto, means for resiliently-urging the carriage toward a spindle about said fixed pivot, and a projection on said carriage to restrict the movement about the fixed pivot toward a spindle to leave a clearance therebetween of a. thickness to receive the walls of a coated tube supported on the carriage.

6. In apparatus for the manufacture of decorated collapsible metal tubes, a printer comprising a multiple spindle turret and means for feeding and applying coated tubes to the spindles thereof, said means comprising a carriage fixedly pivoted at the axis of the turret and movable in a direction parallel to the axes of said spindles to apply coated tubes thereto, means for resiliently urging the carriage toward a spindle about said fixed pivot, and a projection on said carriage to restrict the movement about the fixed pivot toward a spindle to leave a clearance therebetween of a thickness to receive the walls of a coated tube supported on the carriage.

7. In apparatus for the manufacture of decorated collapsible metal tubes, a printer comprising a printing roll a multiple spindle turret and means for feeding and applying coated tubes to the spindles thereof, said means comprising a tube-supporting carriage pivotally mounted at the axis of the turret and movable in a direction parallel to the axes of said spindles, a bearing for said turret adjustable to bring the axes of the spindles into parallelism with the surface of an riage, and means associated with said carriage for impression blanket secured to said printing roll, the pivotal and axial movements of said carriage arranged to be controlled by a rod passing through the center of said adjustable bearing so that for all adjustments thereof alignment between the carriage and the spindles is preserved.

8. In apparatus for the manufacture of decorated collapsible metal tubes, a printer comprising a printing roll a multiple spindle turret and means for feeding and applying coated tubes to the spindles thereof, said means comprising a tube-supporting carriage pivotally mounted at the axis of the turret and movable in a direction parallel to the axes of said spindles, a bearing for said turret adjustable angularly and laterally to bring the axes of the spindles into parallelism with the surface of an impression blanket secured to said printing roll, the pivotal and axial movements of said carriage arranged to be controlled by a rod passing through the center of said adjustable bearing so that for all adjustments thereof alignment between the carriage and the spindles is preserved.

JOHN H. FRIDEN. 

